Oil gasifier and burner



Nov. 3, 1942. (5.1.. REICHHELM OIL GASIFIER AND BURNER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1939 1942- 0. L. REICHHELM OIL GASIFIER AND BURNER Filed Dec. 8, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 a w 3 3 we 9 G. L. REICHHELM OIL GASIFIER AND BURNER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 8-, 1959 Nov. 3; 1942. v

G. L. REICHHELM OI L GASIFIER AND BURNER Filed Dec. 8, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 3, 1942 I UNITED on. oasis-mam BUB-NIB George 1.. Beichhelm, New Haven, Coma, a-

to The Oil-Gas Combustion Company,

ailingford, Com. a corporation of Gennecticut Application December asses, Serial No. scams scum.

This invention relates to an oil-gas burner, and more particularly to a device adapted to gasify a liquid fuel such as fuel so gasifled. It will also be understood that the invention is applicable to a device for producing a gaseous fuel or combustible gas from a liquid fuel',.and supplying this gas at a remote point to some device such as abumer or internal combustion engine by which the gas may be consumed. That is, the principles of the in-.

vention may be applied to a so-cailed gasifler, or

may be employed in a combined gasifler and burner, such as is disclosed in the present application. v A It is also contemplated that the present device may be made as a small portable unit, or may be constructed and function equally well in large sizes for intallations which require a large quantity of heat. For example, the unit may be employed in various types of household heating appliances, such as'a central heating plant, a

water heater, cookstove, broiler, or room heater, blow torches, forges or furnaces. of almost any description, as well as in connection with practically all industrial operations.

At the present time the usual oil burner in common use sprays or projects particles of oil at a relatively high velocity into a combustion chamber, the oil being sprayed, however, as globules of liquid rather than as a gas. Unless an oil is expanded to agaseous state, a perfect mixture with a combustion-supporting medium, such as the oxygen of the air, is not possible, and hence the usual oil burner does not operate at a high efficiency, for as there is no intimate premixture of the fuel and combustion-supporting medium, complete combustion is not obtained, and a number of the fuel particles are conveyed beyond the flame zone without having been burned, resulting in smoke or soot. Y

The present invention has for its object the burning of a small quantity of the fuel in the presenceof the remainder thereof in order to gasify the rest of the fuel, and transform it into a combustible gas, the operation being so regulated and controlled that practically the theoretical amount of fuel is consumed which is necessary to effect the gasiflcation of the remainder.

A still further object of the invention is the projection of a liquid fuel such as oil and a combustion-supporting medium into a combustion chamber, where a portion of the fuel is burned to gasify the remainder, the fuel and combustionsupporting medium being so controlled and re oil, and thereafter burn' the will be consumed in the gasiflcation operation, while at the same time the flame of combustion will be maintained to insure the continuance of the operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a highly eflicient oil-gas burner consisting of a gasifler to produce acombustible gas from the liquid oil and a burner which may be employed to burn the gas so produced.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a gasifying apparatus in which the fuel and combustion-supporting medium will be maintained in distinct zones, the zones contacting with each other so that a combustion flame may be supported in spite of the fact that there will be present a large excess of fuel whereby this flame will gasify the remainder of the fuel, which will be delivered as a combustible gas to a burner or other apparatus for its consumption.

A still further object of the invention is to supply to a burner a gas from oil or other combustible liquid, which gas may be consumed immediately, thus using the sensible heat developed by the gasiflcation of the oil, and which burner will in effect be a part of the gasiiying apparatus.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a combination oil-v gas burner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the combustion chamber and burner, the lower part being shown in section for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view onlinel-JofFigJ;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fi 4;

r Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a combustion chamber and associated parts of somewhat modified form; 1

Fig. 6Ais a detail view of the connecting link from the thermostat;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a further modified form of combustion chamber wherein the burner is omitted, and the apparatus is arranged for conducting the combustible gas to a remote point for consumption;

Fig. 8 is a view partly in section of a combustion chamber of somewhat modified form; and

ulated that a relatively small quantity of the fuel urner consisting of a casing il in which is discharges into a pipe 24 which leads to an elbow or T member disposed below the combustion chamber designated generally by the numeral Hi.

The member l5 may be supported from any suitable surface by means of the rod or pipe I! threaded, into the lower part of the member IS.

The fuel is supplied to the apparatus fromthe float chamber 18, which may be of any approved form, in which is mounted a float 19, shown in conventional form and designed to maintain a given level of liquid fuel in the float chamber, the fuel being drawn from any suitable source of supply through the nipple 20. A'pipe 2| leads from a point adjacent the discharge of the blower l I into the top of the chamber I8 above the level of fuel therein, so as to maintain the fuel in the float chamber under a certain amount of pressure when the blower is in operation, and thus force the fuel from the chamber through the pipe 22. The inlet end of this pipe is, as shown in Fig. 5, immersed within the fuel in the chamber l8, and the pipe leads from the fuel chamber to a conduit member 23 within the T l5, which conduit member has secured thereto a vertical pipe or tube 24 leading to the combustion chamber to convey the oil thereto.

The combustion chamber, designated as a whole by the reference numeral l5, comprises a bottom plate 25 having a central hollow hub 26 which is seated in theupper end of the T mem ber l5 and projects upwardly above the plate 25 to provide an air outlet or nozzle 21 surrounding the fuel tube 24. The fuel tube may be centered in the nozzle by means of a spacer member 28 placed therewithin and provided with an opening surrounding the tube, and also openings for the passage of air through the spacer plate. The plate 25 may be provided with an annular groove 29 to receive the lower end of the cylindrical casing 30 of the combustion chamber, which may be sealed in this groove in any suitable manner, and at its upper end the combustion chamber is closed by a head 3| also provided with an annular groove 32 to receive the upper edge of the member 30. The plate 25 may also be provided with laterally extending lugs or ears 33 provided with openings to receive the bolts 34, which by means of the nuts 35 secure the parts of the combustion chamber together.

In the lower portion of the combustion chamber is a block of ceramic material 36, within which are embedded heating coils 31, the ends of these coils being attached to terminals 38 carried by a part of the block 36, which extends downwardly through an opening in the plate 25.

The burner'head 3! in the present form of the invention extends upwardly above the cylindrical wall 30, and from its upper wall is suspended by means of pins 38 a partition 39 which divides the combustion chamber into upper and lower portions. Communication between these two portions of the combustion chamber is provided by means of a central opening 40 in the plate 39, and an annular opening 4| between the periphery of the plate and the inner surface of the head 3|. Also in this instance the head is provided with laterally projecting burner members 42 which communicate with the interior of the main portion thereof by the openings 42 and which are provided with slots 43 and 44 which form gas outlets or flame orifices .for the gasified fuel.

Adjacent the combustion chamber, so as to be subjected to heat radiated therefrom, is a thermostatic device 45 comprising a coil of thermometal, the inner end of which is secured to a post 46 carried by the bracket 47 secured to the combustion chamber. This spiral is so formed as to tend to unwind when heated, and carries at its free end a laterally projecting pin 48 designed to bear on a lever 43 pivoted to the pin 46. A link is pivoted to the free end of the lever 49 and extends downwardly to be connected at its other end to a crank arm 5! rigidly secured to a rod 52 rotatably mounted in brackets 53 on the air tube 14. This rod extends along the air tube to a point adjacent the air inlet l3, and is there provided with a crank arm 54 rigidly secured to the rod, which has pivoted to its free end a link 55, the lower end of which is in tum pivoted to an arm 56 rigidly secured to the pivot 51 of a damper or butterfly valve 58 mounted in the inlet tube I3. From inspection of Fig. 5 it will be seen that the member 58 is eccentrically pivoted so that it will tend to be drawn to an open position, as shown in dotted lines, when the blower II is in operation. This movement of the valve to open position is, as will be obvious, opposed by the pressure of the pin 48 on the lever 49, but its opening under the action of the blower will be permitted when the thermostatic coil 45 is heated sufiiciently to raise the pin 48 from contact with the upper surface of the lever 45.

As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 5, the crank 54 is double and extends rearwardly from the rod 52 to have its free end 80 pivoted to the end of a mercury switch member 6|, which member is swingingly mounted on a bracket 62.

Electrical current is carried to the motor from line wires 63 and 64 by conducting members 65 and 68, and from the wire 65 the current is carried by a wire 61 through the switch member 6| to one of the terminals 38 of the heating coil 31, the circuit being completed by the line 68 leading from the other terminal 38 to the conducting member 56. A switch 69 of any suitable form may be provided to control the delivery of current from the lines 63 and 54.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have shown a slightly modified form of my invention, in which the combustion chamber I5 is substantially like the combustion chamber l5 shown in Figs. 1 to 5, except that the cylindrical wall 30 is substantially higher, thus providing a combustion chamber of greater depth, which may in some instances be preferable to a shallow chamber. Also in this figure of the drawings the butterfly valve controlling the admission of air to the combustion chamber is placed in the tube I 4 adjacent the T 15, which location will effect a simplification in the linkage necessary to operate this valve. In this form of the invention the butterfly valve is shown at 10, and is pivoted at 1 I, the pivot pin having secured thereto an arm 12 connected to the end of which is a link 13 rising in a substantially vertical position, and provided adjacent its upper end with an elongated slot 14 within which slot the pin 48 extends. The pin' 48 and thermostatic device 45 are, of course, the same as previously described.

. The arm 12, as shown in Fig. 6, extends beyond the pivot II, and is provided with a recess receiving a pin 16 carried by the pivoted mercury switch 11, so that when the arm 12 is rocked, the switch T! will be tripped to effect the cutting off of the current in a manner well understood in the art.

Also in thisform of my invmtionit n contemplated that the tube 21 which carries pressure air to the float-chamber will lead into the tube u at a point in advance of the butterfly valve II, as shown, for example, at 21'. This inlet end of the tube It must be invadvance of the valve ll so that air under pressure will not be carried )to the float chamber-until-the valve ll-is permitted to open by the thermostatic device. While this location of the butterfly valve is to be preferred from the standpoint of simpliclty, it may be necessary.iftheburnerisusedinafurnace,for

example, to locate it at a distance-from the furnacechamber, and in such case the location in the inlet of the blower may be preferred.

It has already been stated that the principles of the present invention may be employed in a combined gasifler and burner, or; may be .em-.

A combustion-supporting medium such as air or oxygen may be introduced into the combustible gas by means of the pipe 82, and the mixture may be then carried by the pipe II to some point where it is to be consumed, such, for,example, as a distant furnace, or to an internal combustion en ine.

The operation of my device will now be briefly described. When it is desired to operate the burner, the switch 59 is closed to deliver current to the motor 12, and also to the coil 31 in the combustion chamber. The blower will immediately be put into operation, but as the valve 58 will be closed, due to the pressure of the pin 48 The combustion of the fuel within the chamber will, of course, heat it to a much higher degree than that effected by the coil, and as a result thethermostatic spiral ll further unwinds, thus raising the pin 48 toa further extent, and permitting further opening of'the valve It, thus increasing ,the air pressure and increasing the quantity of oil forced from the float tank through the delivery tube 2|. While, as' stated. the mixture is very leanwhen the burner flrst begins to operate, it becomes very rich, as the valve 58 opens to a further extent, until the proportions of fuel and air are such that only enough of the fuel may be consumed to vaporize the remainder. Theoretically. this is approximately flve percent, and it will be apparent that, with sucha great excess of fuel as compared to the combustion-supporting medium or air, the flame would ordinarily be extinguished. In the present instance, however,

the flame is. continuously maintained in the combustion chamber by maintaining the air in a hollow cylindrical zone or column within which is a column of fuel, and which zone of air is surrounded by a zone of combustible gas. as will now be explained.

The stream of air and fuel is projected-through the opening 40 of the plate upon the lower of the thermostat 45, no air will be delivered by the blower, and hence no fuel will be delivered to the combustion chamber. As soon, however, as the coil 31 heats the combustlon'chamber to a sufficient extent so that the heat radiated to the thermostat causes the pin 48 to rise from the .lever 49 the action of the in-draft of air incaused to strike'forcibly against the heated lower surface of the head 3|. As the pressure is low in the beginning, when the valve 58 is opened to only a slight extent there will be a relatively small quantity of. fuel forced into the combustion chamber, resulting in a" relatively lean mixture Of air and oil therein. At this time the quantity of air will probably be suflicient for complete combustion, and the fuel will be ignited either by the glowing coil or spontaneously by the heat of the chamber. At the same time that the valve 58 is opened, the mercury switch I will be tripped. to cut off the current from the coil, as after the fuel is once ignited in the combustion chamber a flame will be cont uously maintained therein so that no further 1 tion is required.

surface of the heated burner head, and is converted into a vapor and deflected in a horizontal direction. Due to the fact that the air and fuel propelled into the chamber from the nozzle 21 and'pipe 24 have somewhat of an injector action, a reduced pressure is present in the lower part of the combustion chamber, which draws the vaporized gas from the upper portion of the chamber (the portion above the plate 39) 'tothe lower portion, of the'chamberthrough the annular openingb I At the beginning of the operation of the umer, when the mixture is very lean, this vapor may consist entirely of the prod ucts of combustion, butas the mixture becomes richer it will consist largely of a vaporized combustible gas fuel, which will be carried downwardly through the annular'opening 4| into the combustion chamber, where it will surround the' hollow cylindrical column of air. Some of this combustible gas will mix with the outer layers of this air and also be ignited, rising again through the opening 4|! with the projected stream of fuel and air. The operation will be continuous, a part a of the combustible vaporized gas passing out through the openings 43 and 44, where it may be burned in the usual manner. I v

To summarize, when the burner is in operation and a relatively lean mixture is supplied to the combustion chamber the fuel may be completely burned and nothing but the products of combustion issue from the openings 42 and 43. When the supply of fuel is increased and the column of oil and column of air reach the upper part of the chamber, the fuel will be converted into products-0f combustion and a combustible gas.

A part'of these products will pass downwardly through the annular opening 4|. In the meantime, the combustible gas may have found enough oxygen with which it may be united to form a flame, and some flame may exist in the upper part ofthe chamber which may also issue through the openings in the burner head. Some of this flame together withsome of the products of combustion will also be carried downwardly to the lower part of the chamber. If the. supply of fuel is still further increased :there will exist in the upper part of the chamber products of combustion, flame, and a combustible gas. Some of all three of these products will be carried downwardly through the annular opening 4| into the lower part of the chamber. Ther will be present in the lower part of the chamber at this time a central column of oil surrounded by a column of air and, in the space around the column of air, the products of combustion of the oil that has been consumed, the flame of the combustlble gas which has been generated and then ignited, and combustible gas which has not yet been ignited. Some of this combustible gas will, when reaching the air column, unite with the oxygen of the air to form a flame which will be added to the flame generated in the upper part of the chamber. These products will pass upwardly again through the opening 40 and out through the openings 43 and 44. That is, at that time the oil, the air, the products of combustion, flame, and combustible gas which has not yet been ignited, will be passing upwardly in the upper part of the chamber. The ignition of this combustible gas at the outer layer and the air column causes this column to be practically surrounded by a flame which may extend downwardly substantially to the outlet of the nozzl 21. When the mixture is very rich the proportion of fuel consumed will be at a minimum and therefore the amount of combustible gas generated will be a maximum.

The burner may be used as a heater at which time all of the fuel will be consumed within the burner and only products of combustion issue therefrom. It may be used as a burner in ,which case flame may issue from the openings 43 and 44, or combustible gas issue which may be ignited and burn upon issuance from these openings; or it may be used as a generator for combustible gas in which'case the gas issuing from the openings 43 and 44 will be conveyed to a remote point for consumption.

It will be obvious that the operation of the burner may be controlled by the relative proportions of fuel and air admitted thereto. For example, as is well known, a'fuel will burn when the proportions of the combustion supporting medium and the fuel vary between 6 to 1 and 14 to 1. By regulating the relative quantities of air and fuel fed to the burner, the flame may be formed or starved out so that it may be maintained in any desired part of the apparatus. For example, when the quantity of combustion supporting medium is such as to form flame, this flame may be present in the upper part of the burner, in the lower part of the burner, and also may issue from the openings 43 and 44. When the flame is starved to some extent by varying the proportions of the fuel to the combustion supporting medium, it may exist only in the upper part and the lower part of the burner, but nothing but combustible gas and the products of combustion issue from the openings 43 and 44. It is also possible to so starve the flame in its passage through the opening 40 of the partition plate 39 (which plate may be of any desired thickness) so that there is no flame in the upper part of the burner but only flame in the lower part and combustible gas delivered through the openings 43 and 44.

It will be seen that as a result of the above operation a hollow cylindrical stream of a combustion-supporting medium such as air is maintained in the combustion chamber, within which is enclosed a column of fuel, and which is surrounded by a combustible gaseous vapor, so that both the fuel discharged from the tube 24 and a part of the combustible gases returned to the lower part of the combustion chamber from the upper part are always in contact with the surface of the air column, to be united with the oxygen of the air by the heat within the chamher, and consequently maintain the continuity of the, flame therein, which might otherwise be choked out.

The heat resulting from the combustion of a part of the fuel gasifies the remainder, and produces a combustible gas which may be drawn off at the upp r portion of the combustion chamber. In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 1

to 6, this combustible gas emerges from the openlugs 43 and 44 oi the burner members and is burned immediately. It will be obvious that the result is a combined gasifler and burner which is of simple and light construction, and in small sizes is a portable burner. It can be employed in any relation in which a burner is desired.

In the device shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, the combustible gas is not immediately burned, but is collected for conveyance to a remote point,

as to a distant furnace or bank of furnaces, for

example, or to an internal combustion engine.

One of the principal features of my invention is the maintenance of the flame in the combustion chamber in the presence of a very large excess of combustible gas as compared to the amount of the combustion-supporting medium or oxygen. This apparently results from the main tenance of the oxygen or atmospheric air in a more or less distant zone between the fuel and .the combustible gases resulting from the initial vaporization, so that the fuel, as well as the combustible gases, will be exposed to the oxygen of the air around this zone to maintain a flame.

In Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings I have shown a burner similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 7, for example, except that the partition plate 39 is mounted for adjustment in the combustion chamber 80. In this, case, the plate is supported by members 8! secured to a ring 82 slidably mounted on the air pipe 83 v leading to the lower portion of the combustion chamber. Pivoted on the pipe 83 is a bell crank lever 84 connected to the ring 82*- by a link 85 so that when the bell crank lever is manipulated the ring is moved upwardly or downwardly on the pipe efiecting a corresponding adjustment of the plate 39.

It will be apparent that by this adjustment the relative sizes of the upper and lower portions of the chamber may be varied and thus vary the amount of fuel consumption which takes place within the chamber and the degree of fixation of the products delivered from the'burner. It will be apparent that if the plate 39 is raised to the top of the combustion chamber the latter will comprise only the lower chamber and combustion would be substantially complete. If, however, the plate 39 is dropped to a lower position the size of the lower portion of the chamber would be decreased, thus providing for lesser combustion and a delivery from the burner of a greater quantity of a combustible gas. In this case also the gas would be at a lower temperature, thus increasing its efliciency if it were to be What I claim is: v

l. I'he method of gasiiying a liquid hydrocarbon fuel which comprises projecting into a chamber a stream of fuel surrounded by a column of air in substantially unmixed condition, effecting combustion of a part of said fuel to gasify the remainder thereof, deflecting the gases resulting from said combustion in a reverse direction with respect to that of the introduction of the fuel and air and into the chamber space about 'the air column, whereby the latter occupiesthe zone between the raw fueland the combustion gases,

v and partially mixing the combustion gases with the adjacent air of said column and providing egress for the gas'iiied fuel from the chamber.

2. The method of gasifying oil which comprises maintaining in a chamber intermediate the side walls thereof a stream of oil surrounded by a column of air in substantially unmixed condition, efiecting combustion of a part of the oil,

deflecting the gases resulting from the combustion into the chamber space surrounding the air column to be partially mixed with the air therein and to be carried thereby against a heated deflecting member, and drawing off the gasified fuel from the chamber.

GEORGE L. 

